The Acura’s third row felt a bit more cramped than some competitors’, and we think it’s best reserved for children.Ĭargo space is above average, but not class leading. The Lincoln Aviator has the most spacious front row in this segment, while the Infiniti QX60 offers the most legroom for second- and third-row passengers to stretch out.

The MDX is decent in both areas, but not class leading. Acura could have done more to make the MDX stand out, even if it meant annoying a few customers.Ī stylish exterior is one perk of buying a luxury crossover instead of a more mainstream model, but passenger and cargo space are what it’s really about. The rest of the MDX looks flabby and anonymous. That gives the MDX a handsome face, but it looks like Acura’s designers put down their pencils there. This is Acura’s signature look, and it was applied to the MDX as part of a refresh for the 2017 model year. It wears the same pentagonal grille and bug-like LED headlights as the TLX sedan, as well as the smaller RDX crossover. The 2020 MDX represents what Acura views as a happy medium.Īcura could have done more to make the MDX stand out, even if it meant annoying a few customers.įrom the front, the MDX is immediately recognizable as an Acura. That’s led to some overcorrection in the form of boring and anonymous designs. The automaker has taken some styling risks over the years, only to receive pushback from customers and critics. Acura is certainly charging luxury-car prices for the MDX, so what do you get for your money? Trying to please everyoneĪcura has struggled to come up with distinctive styling that doesn’t repel customers. Our test car was also a fully-loaded Advanced model, with a price tag of $60,645. The all-wheel-drive hybrid model starts at $53,895, compared to $45,395 for a base, non-hybrid model with front-wheel drive. With so many new options out there, does it pay to be predictable? To find out, we borrowed a 2020 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid. But the Honda luxury brand’s solid reputation for reliability and buyer inertia are more likely to keep customers coming back to Acura showrooms.

Meanwhile, Acura has tried to keep the MDX competitive with hybrid power and one of the most sophisticated all-wheel drive systems in the business. The Lexus RX recently added a third row, while the Cadillac XT6 and Lincoln Aviator are completely new entries. The MDX remains a bestseller in its segment, but rivals are catching up. The original Acura MDX was one of the first family luxury utility vehicles, giving style-conscious parents a more fashionable and upscale alternative to minivans. If you want to know the cause of the glut of luxury crossovers clogging Starbucks drive-throughs and soccer field parking lots, look at Acura.

2020 hybrid vehicle reviews